‘Brain’ at Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life

Laughter actually triggers beneficial physical changes in the body, strenthening the immune system by decreasing hormones that compound stress and increasing the presence of antibodies that fight infections.

Not only do people surprise us, but there are usually overlooked possibilities in our situation. One way we discover this is by talking to others about a situation we are in.

Compassion meditation produces physical effects in the brain, “proving” in terms of Western science that an Eastern spiritual practice “works”. Are compassion and empathy skills which can be developed through meditation, or is this missing the point of a spiritual experience?

Compared with placebo, the new-generation antidepressants do not produce clinically significant improvements in depression in patients who initially have moderate or even very severe depression. That’s according to a new meta-analysis of clinical trials research. A triumph for the placebo effect! How does it work?

An extensive study by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research concludes that PTSD and depression play a larger role than previously acknowledged in symptoms suffered by soldiers returning from war.